Exemplary embodiments herein generally relate to a chassis or front subframe for a vehicle body structure, and more particularly, to a front subframe adapted for a small overlap or narrow offset frontal collision.
Current standard frontal crash tests include full frontal or moderate overlap frontal (e.g., 40% offset). Frontal impacts with less than 40% offset and corner impacts have previously received little attention. The small overlap or narrow offset frontal crash test is a newly emerging crash requirement associated with frontal impacts with less than 40% offset and corner impacts. The test is designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole.
Most vehicles have safety cages encapsulating the occupant compartment and built to withstand head-on collisions and moderate overlap frontal crashes with little deformation. At the same time, crush zones help manage crash energy to reduce forces on the occupant compartment. The main crush-zone structures are typically concentrated in the middle 50% percent of the front end. When a crash involves these structures, the occupant compartment is protected from intrusion, and front airbags and safety belts restrain and protect occupants. The small overlap frontal crashes primarily affect a vehicle's outer edges, which generally are not well protected by the crush-zone structures. As such, crash forces can go directly into the front wheel, suspension system and firewall. To provide effective protection in small overlap crashes, the vehicle body structure needs to resist crash forces that are not tempered by crush-zone structures.